Independence (KS) police have announced it has been using GPS technology to try to reduce the number of high-speed chases.
The police department is the first law enforcement agency in the Kansas City area to successfully use the StarChase device to apprehend people who flee from police.
The department said that since it has deployed the technology in the last few months, it has successfully taken fleeing people into custody while using it in pursuits. In those instances, there have been no crashes.
Officers in police cars that have the StarChase technology are able to use compressed air to tag vehicles that are fleeing from police. In essence, police shoot a GPS device at a fleeing car and the device sticks to it. Once the tag is attached, officers are able to track the vehicle using GPS technology, according to a release from the Independence Police Department.
Independence police hope that the new tool will help avoid high-speed pursuits by apprehending people in a tactical and safe manner.
Independence police said it would continue to pursue fleeing vehicles in accordance with its pursuit policy. StarChase is another tool that its officers can use to catch those who flee.
